Mail sorting machine



Arfi 2%, 194.

I. BECKER 2,439,?

MAIL SOR'I'ING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q, a. BECKER2,43

MAIL SORTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 23 27 2 5Fin.

INVENTOR Iamoma BEC'KER.

Patented Apr. 20, 1948 lTED STATES PATENT OFFHQE 7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an automaticmail sorting machine.

More specifically, the present invention proposes the construction of amachine characterized by having an inclined continuous belt passingunder a rack having passages for use in sorting mail headed fordifferent destinations and having passages at right angles thereto forstacking mail for similar destinations, the last mentioned passageshaving containers therein for receiving stacks of mail and having springdevices for guiding the stacks as they form, the belt acting as aconveyor of individual letters along the first passages to the passagesin which they are to be stacked.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic mail sorting machineconstructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. ,3 is a fragmentary plan of the machine.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of one portion of the machine.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3, parts beingshown fragmentally.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with some letters stacked therein.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a box forming part of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

The automatic mail sorting machine, according to this invention,includes a table Illsupported on legs II, and having shelves l2 at thefront thereof. which may be used for sorting mail. A rear wall I3upstands from the rear of the table. Inclined bearings I l are providedat the ends of the front of the table, and inclined bearings l5 areprovided at the top of the rear wall and supported by brackets l6secured to the table.

An inclined shaft H is secured in the bearings l4 and I5 at each end ofthe table. An endless belt |8 extends over the two shafts H. the beltbeing substantially as wide as the shafts H are long. The shaft IT atthe left side of the table is rotated by an electric motor l9 supportedon a bracket 20 secured to the rear wall l3. The shaft H at the rightend of the table is rotated by a belt of the conveyor type, as willpresently appear. The motor may be provided with a variable speed device(not shown) if desired.

A mitered rack 2| is provided above the endless belt, the mitering beingat the right side thereof. This rack is inclined similar to the belt andis covered along its bottom by the belt which is in close proximitythereto. The rack has a front wall 22, a rear wall 23, a left side wall24 and a right side wall 25. It is supported at its front on the tableby means of brackets 26 and is secured at its rear to the top of therear wall iii. The rear wall l3 may be a solid panel or may be merely anopenwork support made of a plurality of bars. The rack has no top wallbut is reinforced across its top by several bridges 22 extending betweenand secured to the front and rear walls. The rack is rectangular and thewalls are inclined at a substantially 45 angle.

The rack is divided interiorly into a plurality of longitudinal passages23 by longitudinal vertical partitions 29, which are secured to thebridges 21. Each partition 29 is parallel to the walls 22 and 23. Therear partition extends from the left wall 26 to a point short of theright wall 25 the length of a long average envelope of letter size. Atits right end it is joined (mitered) to a transverse vertical partition30 which extends therefrom, parallel to wall 25, to the front wall 22.

Each of the other partitions 29 similarly extend to a partition 30,thereby providing transverse passages 3l, each of the same widthlongitudinally of the machine but of different lengths transversely ofthe machine. The front passage 28 has no passage 3| meeting it and istherefore not used. The front passage 28 is the shortest passage 28, andthe passages 28 get successively longer rearwardly, the rearmost beingthe longest. In the same manner, the passage 3| at the right is thelongest and the one at the left is the shortest. If desired thesepassages 3| may be so constructed as to be adjustable in their width inorder to accommodate the different possible sizes of envelopes. Unlikethe area covered by the greater part of rack 2|, passages 3| areprovided at their bottom with a flooring 3|' secured to the underside ofrack 2| and thus forming a platform on which envelopes may collect.

Each of the passages 3| may have therein a box 32, best shown in Figs.'7 and 8, which rests on flooring 3| The box has a right'wall 33extending along the right side of its passage 3|, a left wall 34extending along the left side of its passage 3| to the intersectingpartition 29, and a bottom wall 35. The bottom wall is rectangular incross passages 3|.

3 section at'any point along the length of the wall 34 but to the rearthereof it is tapered in cross section, as is clearly shown in Fig. 8.The sharp point of wall 35 lightly engages the top face of the endlessbelt.

A backing plate 36 is secured in each box 32. Each plate 36 has a rod 31extending forwardly. therefrom through an orifice 38 in the w front wall22; A very light compression spring 39 is mounted on each rod 31 betweenthe front wall 22 and the backing plate. The springs are onlysufficiently strong to normally hold the backing plates just within therear edge of the wall 34 and may be compressed very easily by lettersstacking in the box 32 as will presently appear.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Postal clerks, each sorting mail which he temporarily lays on the shelfi2 prior to sorting, drop letters in the passages 28. Ordinarily thepassages 28 will be quite long and a number of clerks will be using themachine at one time. Each of the passages 28 is marked with a differentdestination, such as different States of the United States. There may beas many passages 28 as desired, and as many shelves l2 as desired, the

number shown in the drawings being by way of example only. As the clerksdrop letters in the passages 28, the conveyor belt supports the lettersand moves them to the right toward the The belt ordinarily moves slowly.The passages 28 are quite narrow so that the letters cannot fall over ontheir flat surface.

As the letters in the various passages 28 reach the passages 3!, each isslid up on the flooring 3| or upon the tapered wall 35 of the box,depending upon whether or not the boxes 32 are being used. Should anyletter stop before it is completely on the wall 35 the next lettercoming along in the same passage 28 will push it completely upon thewall 35. The letters will each be stopped in its movement toward theright by the wall 33 and will be maintained in vertical position by thebacking plate 36. Each letter that rests against the backing plate 36tends to move it forwardly against the compression of the spring 39.This forward movement is further assisted by the fact that the passages3| and therefore the boxes 32 incline downwardly and have an assistinggravitational force.

As the letters are moved along each passage 28 to each passage 3| andstacked in the boxes 32, the springs compress more and more until theboxes are full. As the boxes fill, the rods 37 slide forwardly throughthe orifices 38. When any one box is filled, it may be lifted out withthe letters stacked therein. Before the box can be lifted out it must bemoved rearward to clear the backing plate 36. The letters are indicatedin the drawings by the letter A.

If boxes are not to be used at this stage it is merely necessary for thepostal clerk to withdraw a stack of envelopes from any desired bin, andafter recording the time, simply ties the bundle by means of anautomatic tying machine and thus the mail is completely ready for thedistribution rack.

The aforedescribed device is adaptable to various construction andarrangements, such as one suitable for providing working and sortingspace on both sides of the mail sorting machine, the construction beingsuch that all functions would be performed by a single motor aspreviously described;

While I have illustrated and described the pre- 4 ferred embodiments ofmy invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic mail sorting machine comprising a table supported onlegs and having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall, inclined shaftsjournalled in bearings supported on said walls at opposite ends of saidtable, means for rotating one of said shafts, a continuous beltextending around said shafts driving the other of said shafts from saidone shaft, and a rack supported on said table in an inclined position ontop of said belt, said belt underlying the entire bottom of said rack,said rack being partitioned into a plurality of longitudinal passageseach terminating at one end at a juncture with a trans verse passage,said transverse passages being inclined with said junctures at theirtops whereby letters placed in said longitudinal passages will beconveyed therealong by said belt to said transverse passages where theywill stack by gravity, and means in each of said transverse passages forsupporting said letters as they stack therein.

2. An automatic mail sorting machine comprising a table supported onlegs and having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall, inclined shaftsjournalled in bearings supported on said walls at opposite ends of saidtable, means for rotating one of said shafts, a continuous beltextending around said shafts driving the other of said shafts from saidone shaft, and a rack supported on said table in an inclined position ontop of said belt, said belt underlying the entire bottom of said rack,said rack being partitioned into a plurality of longitudinal passageseach terminating at one end at a juncture with a transverse passage,said transverse passages being inclined with said junctures at theirstops whereby letters placed in said longitudinal passages will beconveyed therealong by said belt to said transverse passages where theywill stack by gravity, and means in each of said transverse passages forsupporting said letters as they stack therein, the walls of saidpassages being vertical.

3. An automatic mail sorting machine comprising a table supported onlegs and having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall, inclined shaftsjournalled in bearings supported on said walls at opposite ends of saidtable, means for rotating one of said shafts, a continuous beltextending around said shafts driving the other of said shafts from saidone shaft, and a rack supported on said table in an inclined position ontop of said belt. said belt underlying the entire bottom of said rack,said rack being partitioned into a plurality of longitudinal passageseach terminating at one end at a juncture with a transverse passage,said transverse passages being inclined with said junctures at theirtops whereby letters placed in said longitudinal passages will beconveyed there along by said belt to said transverse passages where theywill stack by gravity, and means in each of said transverse passages forsupporting said letters as they stock therein, and bridges spanning thelongitudinal walls of said racks and being secured thereto at the topsthereof.

4. An automatic mail sorting machine comprising a table supported onlegs and having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall, inclined shaftsjournalled in bearings supported on said walls at opposite ends of saidtable, means for rotating one of said shafts, a continuous beltextending around said shafts driving the other of said shafts from saidone shaft, and a rack supported on said table in an inclined position ontop of said belt, said belt underlying the entire bottom of said rack,said rack being partitioned into a plurality of longitudinal passageseach terminating at one end at a juncture with a transverse passage,said transverse passages being inclined with said Junctures at theirtops whereby letters placed in said longitudinal passages will beconveyed therealong by said belt to said transverse passages where theywill stack by gravity, means in each of said transverse passages forsupporting said letters as they stack therein, said longitudinalpassages being of narrow width for supporting said letters insubstantially vertical position, and said transverse passages being sufficiently wide to receive said letters lengthwise.

5. An automatic mail sorting machine comprising a table supported onlegs and having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall, inclined shaftsiournalied in bearings supported on said walls at opposite ends of saidtable, means for rotating one of said shafts, a continuous beltextending around said shafts driving the other of said shafts from saidone shaft, and a rack supported on said table in an inclined position ontop of said belt, said belt underlying the entire bottom of said rack,said rack being partitioned into a plurality of longitudinal passageseach terminating at one end at a juncture with a transverse passage,said transverse passages being inclined with said Junctures at theirtops whereby letters placed in said longitudinal passages will beconveyed thereaiong by said belt to said transverse passages where theywill stack by gravity, and means in each of said transverse passages forsupporting said letters as they stack therein, including a box in eachof said transverse passages for receiving said letters, a backing platecrossing ing at one end at a juncture with a transverse each of saidboxes and being slidably disposed therein, a rod secured to each of saidbacking plates and extending through a wall of said rack, and a lightcompression spring mounted on each of said rods between its backingplate and said last mentioned wall whereby said letters move saidbacking plates due to gravity and their weight and compress said springsas they stack in said boxes.

6. An automatic mail sorting machine comprising a table supported onlegs and having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall, inclined shaftsjournalled in bearings supported on said walls at opposite ends of saidtable, means for rotating one of said shafts, a continuous belt extend--ing around said shafts driving the other of said shafts from said oneshaft, and a rack supported on said table in an inclined position on topof said belt, said belt underlying the entire bottom of said rack, saidrack being partitioned into a plurality of longitudinal passages eachterminatpassage, said transverse passages being inclined with saidjunctures at their tops whereby letters placed in said longitudinalpassages will be conveyed therealong by said belt to said transversepassages where they will stack by gravity, means in each of saidtransverse passages for supporting said letters as they stack therein,including a box in each of said transverse passages for receiving saidletters, a backing plate crossing each of said boxes and being slidablydisposed therein,

a rod secured to each of said backing plates and extending through awall of said rack, and a light compression spring mounted on each ofsaid rods between its backing plate and said last mentioned wall wherebysaid letters move said backing plates due to gravity and their weightand compress said springs as they stack in said boxes, each of saidboxes having a long side wall opposite from the adjacent longitudinalpassage, a shorter side wall opposite said long side wall and a bottomwall extending the length of said long side wall and tapering to a fineedge Past said shorter wall. said fine edge lightly engaging said belt,said box being open at its opposite ends.

'7. An automatic mail sorting machine comprising a table supportedonlegs and having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall, inclined shaftsJournalled in bearings supported on said walls at opposite ends of saidtable, means for rotating one of said shafts, a continuous beltextending around said shafts driving the other of said shafts from saidone shaft, and a rack supported on said table in an inclined position ontop of said belt, said belt underlying the entire bottom of said rack,said rack being partitioned into a plurality of longitudinal passageseach terminating at one end at a juncture with a transverse of thecombined widths of said transverse passages.

ISIDORE BE REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

, hm'rsn STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 255,764 Brubaker Apr. 4, 18821,515,659 Cox, Jr. Nov. 18, 1924 2,313,794 Yates Mar. 10, 1948 1,072,504Robinson Sept. 9. 1918 1,851,958 Hill Mar. 2a. 1932 2,020,200

Vosler et a1. Dec. 81, 1935

